Boomerang



Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE BOOMERANG v s Claims.

My present invention is in the nature of a modified boomerang whichconsists of blades for producing the flight and a body suspendedtherefrom and swivelled thereto. The blades, of which 5 there areseveral, preferably two, are pivotally connected so that they will beturned into closely nested parallel arrangement when out of use, and maybe turned into positions at right angles, the one to the other and heldin such position when m the device is thrown into the air to produce theIn the accompanying drawing, which illus trates the invention andwherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several viewsFig. 1 is a perspective showing the boomerang 35 in position of flight;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with some parts sectioned on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1 and with some parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of 30 F g. 2:

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view with some parts separatedapproximately on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of parts found 85 just below the linemarked 55 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail in section on the line 68 of Flg. 2;

7 is a section taken on the line 1-1 of 40 Fig. 8 illustrates a slightmodification of the tip end of one of the boomerang blades; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 99 of 8.

The blades l oi. the boomerang are prefer- 45 ably substantially flat ontheir under faces and slightly convex in cross-section on their upperfaces. These blades are intermediately pivoted preferably by a metallicspindle sleeve l I, the upper end of which-is flanged at l2 and thelower 50 portion just below the lower blade is bulged at I! so as topivotally connect the two blades and hold the same under friction.Interposed between the two blades and surrounding the sleeve II are thinpressed metal upper and lower discs 65 or spindle plates ll securedrespectively to said ltussell '1'. Wing, Minneapolis, Minn. ApplicationDecember 5, 1934, Serial No. 756,087

upper and lower blades by marginal clinching barbs l5. These two discsid have engaging serrated surfaces I'G that are held under suchfrictional engagement that the blades III will be held againstaccidental adjustments, the one in respect to the other. That is, they,when set, will be held at right angles for common rotation or when thedevice is out of use, the blades may be turned into parallel relationand will then remain as set, the one in respect to the other. 1 Workingthrough the spindle sleeve H with freedom for rotary .and slightvertical move ments is a spindle I! which, at its upper end, is providedwith a laterally turned arm or tappet l8. This arm or tappet [8 worksover the upper v face of a serrated or radially fluted metallic hubplate l9 and produces a clicking action, as will hereinafter appear.Rigidly secured to the lower end of the spindle I1 is the body member,above and hereinafter referred to as the car, indicated 2 by the numeral20. This car is thus suspended at its front end from the boomerangproper, so that the blades of the boomerang can rotate without causingthe spindle or the car to rotate therewith. The serrated hub plate I9above just described is rigidly secured to the top of the upper blade l0so that it will rotate when the blades rotate.

Preferably, the outer ends or tips of the blades ID are weighted andcovered with a pliable ma- 3o terial such as rubber- In Figs. 1 to '1,inclusive, the weights are in the form of thin metal bands 2| appliedaround the blades near but somewhat distant from their extreme ends.These weights 2| also constitute reinforcing bands. The extreme ends ofthe blades are capped with a thin covering of pliable material,preferably rubber,

indicated at 22, which may be applied thereto in various diflerent wayssuch as by being cast or molded directly on the ends of said blades. The40 weights increase the momentum of the blades and the pliable caps notonly protect the ends of the blades but cushion impacts thereof whenthey strike against an object.

The car 20 whichgas stated, is made in imitation of the fuselage of aminiature aeroplane, is preferably provided with several additional andimportant features. To produce a sparking action in imitation of theexhaust from an aeroplane engine, -the blades I0, near their tips, areprovided with sparking tips 23 of flint or other material that producesparks when thrust against an abrasive substance, such as a loop ofemery paper 24. The sparking points 23 are shown as attached to theunder sides of the blades III by thin metal blades 25, and the abrasiveloops 2| are ments through the looped or cylindrically turned flange ofa thin metal bracket- 21 rigidly secured to the front upper edge of thefuselage 20 and through the top of which bracket the spindle I1 ispassed, see particularly Figs. 1, 2, and 3.. As

' the wick-like torch burns away, it can, of course,

be forwardly adjusted.

In Figs. 8 and 9, a modified form of weight and pliable cap for the endof the blade Illa is shown. In this arrangement, the weight is in theform of a thin metal plate 28 having a dowel 29 engaged in a perforation30 formed in the blade. Also here the rubber or pliable cap 3| istelescoped onto the end of the blade and is formed withinternal bosses32 that engage depressions in the edge of the blade to holdthe-cap inplace, covering a portion of the weight, but nevertheless, leaving theexposed end of the weight to be engaged so that the weight can beapplied and remove without removing the cap, if so desired.

To assist in sustaining the rear end of the car in flight, it is shownas provided at its rear portion with oblique elevator wings 33.

The operation of the boomerang, constructed as described, issubstantially as follows:

With the device adjustably shown in Fig. 1, one end of one of the bladesis taken in the hand and the device is thrown into the air in suchmanner as to give it a whirling action. To make the device travel acurve and to returnto the position of the thrower, the blades should bethrown and released from the hand while in an oblique position,

more or less approaching a vertical plane. H0w-.

ever, the line of travel of the boomerang may be varied by varying theinclination of the plane at its release from the hand. By practice, theline of travel of the boomerang can be controlled within a large range,and a little practice will enable one to throw the boomerang so that itwill return to the thrower and can be caught in the hand preferably byreaching up and grabbing the car. When the boomerang is in flight, theblades, of course, will revolve, but the car, because of the airresistance and the fact that it is supported at its front end, will notrevolve but will follow the line of flight. This causes the serrated hubHi to move under the tappet I8 and to produce a clicking actionsimulating to some extent the sound of an aeroplane'engine in flight. Asthe blades pass over the rear end of the car, their sparking points 23will rub against the abrasive surface or loop 24, producing sparking,suggestive of the exhaust from an aeroplane engine. When the wick 21 islit, the appearance of a head light will be produced. The sparkingaction and the headlight will be especially visible at night, but theclicking action, due to the contact between the serrated hub I 9 and thetappet l8 will be produced at all times when the device is in flight.

The elevator .wings 33 on the rear end of the car have been founddesirable especially in the larger and higher-priced devices. Theyassist in sustaining the rear end of the car in flight and increase thedistance of travel of the device; and moreover, they assist in holdingthe car to the line of travel of the device in its movement through theair. Preferably the wings 33 are made of a light material, such as thinsheet metal or celluloid, which is capable of being bent at" differentangles to modify the action thereof.

The device above described has been produced both in cheap, simple formsand in the more complicated expensive forms, and it has been foimd indemand both for the amusement of children and for adults.

The blades Ill may be made of various materials, but preferably will bemade of hickory or oak. Such materials, when given a hard twist, willmaintain a part of the twist so that the blades can be set to vary thepitch and hence to modify the nature of the flight. In practice, I havefound that the best conditions for return of the flight of the boomerangto the thrower is produced by giving the blades a pitch of from one toflve degrees.

What I claim is:

1. A boomerang comprising freely rotatable blades and a car swivelled tosaid blades and adapted to follow the line of flight while the bladesrotate, said rotatable blades projecting so that they serve as handlesby which the device may be thrown and said blades given a-rotary motionon the swivelling connection between the same and car.

2. A boomerang comprising freely rotatable blades and a car swivelled toand suspended from said blades and adapted to follow the line of flightwhile said blades rotate, said rotatable blades projecting so that theyserve as handles by which the device may be thrown and said blades givena rotary motion on the swivelling connection between the same and car.

3. A boomerang comprising freely rotatable blades and a car swivelled toand suspended from said blades and adapted to follow the line of flightwhile said blades rotate, said swivel connection being at the front endof said car and said blades being rotatable on said swivel, saidrotatable blades projecting so that they serve as handles by which thedevice may be thrown and said blades given a rotary motion on theswivelling connection between the same and car.

4. A boomerang-comprising a pair of intermediately connected freelyrotatable blades, a spindle swivelled at the connection between saidblades and depending therefrom, and a car secured to the depending endof said spindle and adapted to follow the line of flight while saidblades rotate about said spindle, said rotatable blades projecting sothat they serve as handles by which the device may be thrown and saidblades given a rotary motion on the swivelling connection between thesame and car.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 in which said blades are connectedby a frictionally acting pivot that permits movements of the blades fromparallel to right angle positions to secure said blades where set.

6. The structure defined in claim 4 in which said spindle is connectedto the free end of said car and said car is provided at its rear portionwith elevator wings.

7. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said car and at leastcertain of said blades are provided with frictionally engageable sparkproducing elements that are engaged when said blades are rotated inrespect to said car.

8. The structure defined in claim 4 in which said spindle is capable oflimited vertical movetappet surfaces adapted to produce sound when saidblades are rotated.

9. The structure defined in claim 4 in which said spindle is capable oflimited vertical movements through its pivotal connection to said bladesand its upper end and the immediately underlying blades are providedwith co-operating tappet surfaces adapted to produce sound when saidblades are rotated, and further in which said car and at least certainof said blades are provided with frictionally engaging spark-producingelements that are engaged when said blades are rotated in respect tosaid car.

10. The structure defined in claim 4 in which said car at its front endis provided with a torch adapted to be ignited to produce the effect ofa headlight when the device is in flight.

11. A boomerang comprising a pair of blades, a sleeve pivotallyconnecting said blades at their intermediate portions and provided atits upper end with an annular serrated hub, a spindle swivelled in saidsleeve and provided at its upper end with a tappet engageable with theserrations when said blades are rotated in respect to said spindle, anda car secured to the lower end of said spindle, said spindle beingcapable of limited vertical movements and normally drawn downward by theweight of the car.

12. The structure defined in claim 11 in which said spindle is connectedto the front end of said car and said car at its rear end is providedwith an upwardly projecting abrasive surface, certain of said bladeshaving depending sparking points frictionally engageable with saidabrasive surface to produce a sparking action when said blades arerotated in respect to said car.

13. A boomerang provided with a swivelled suspended fuselage and on thefuselage a torch that is adjustable longitudinally of the fuselage tocompensate for burning away of the torch.

14. The structure defined in claim 13 in which the fuselage at its frontupper portion has a bracket with a looped flange through which saidtorch is frictionally adjustable.

15. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the blades at their endsare provided with weights to increase their momentum when rotation isimparted thereto.

RUSSELL T. WING.

